Economics is a social science that encompasses a broad range of human behaviour and has a strong influence on the structure, well-being and development of a society.

Much of human activity is directed towards the satisfaction of material wants. In many areas of the world, the greater part of human effort must be directed towards meeting the most elemental demands for food, clothing, and shelter. Even in technologically advanced societies, where these basic requirements can be met with comparative ease, the desire for more goods and services never appears to be fully satisfied. In consequence, every society - whatever its political orientation - is both competitive and cooperative. It is competitive because its members contend with one another to satisfy their individual wants from a limited supply of productive resources. It is cooperative because the greatest supply of goods is available when the activity of producing them is coordinated and organized. Economics deals with any issue arising out of the conflict between the demand for goods and services, and a limited supply of resources to satisfy those demands.

Undergraduate training in economics is intended to familiarize students with the discipline of economic thinking, and to equip them for intelligent appraisal of contemporary economic problems. It is also intended to make students aware of the nature of economic science, and of the directions in which economic theory is moving.

Economic theory makes considerable use of mathematics in its enquiries. All economics programs require at least one course in mathematics.

Because of advances in economic theory, an undergraduate degree is not sufficient to become a professional economist. For this or other reasons, graduate work may be necessary. Students who wish to do graduate work should seek advice from the Department concerning their choice of courses. The Economics Specialist program and the Economics and Mathematics program, with their greater emphasis on mathematics, are designed to prepare students for graduate study, and are an excellent starting place.

Undergraduate Administrator: R. Innes

Undergraduate Assistant: D. Navarro

Commerce Assistant: J. Fan

Enquiries: 150 St.George Street (416-978-4603)

Economics Programs

Economics Programs

These are limited enrolment programs. All students who request the program and obtain at least the specified mark(s) in the required course(s) will be eligible to enrol (please read entry requirements for each program carefully). Consult the Registration Handbook & Timetable for details.

NOTE: Please read prerequisites and exclusions carefully. Course prerequisites are strictly enforced and are not just “recommended preparation.” For all mathematics and statistics course prerequisites, the level of the course is also important. For all third and fourth year economics courses, FULL YEAR intermediate course prerequisites are mandatory: a similar “half course” version is not acceptable. All prerequisites must be fully completed before a course can be taken. Courses that are prerequisites cannot be taken simultaneously with the courses for which they are a prerequisite (i.e., they are not "co-requisites"). Students from other institutions must show their transcripts to the department if they are using prior courses as prerequisites. The same rules apply.

Economics Specialist (Arts program)

This is a limited enrolment program. All students who request the program and obtain at least the specified mark(s) in the required course(s) will be eligible to enrol.

Required courses: ECO100Y1 with a final mark of at least 70%, and MAT135H1 with a final mark of at least 63% and MAT136H1 with a final mark of at least 63%, ORMAT137Y1 with a final mark of at least 60%, ORMAT157Y1 with a final mark of at least 60%

(13 full courses or their equivalent, including at least one 400-series course)

This is a limited enrolment program. All students who request the program and obtain at least the specified mark(s) in the required course(s) will be eligible to enrol.

Required courses: ECO100Y1 with a final mark of at least 67%, ORECO105Y1 with a final mark of at least 80%, and MAT133Y1 with a final mark of at least 63%, ORMAT135H1 with a final mark of at least 60% and MAT136H1 with a final mark of at least 60%, ORMAT137Y1 with a final mark of at least 55%, OR MAT157Y1 with a final mark of at least 55%.

NOTE: Students in the Major program in Economics cannot be enrolled in the Minor program in Environmental Economics.

Economics Minor (Arts program)

This is a limited enrolment program. All students who request the program and obtain at least the specified mark(s) in the required course(s) will be eligible to enrol.

Required courses: ECO100Y1 with a final mark of at least 67%, ORECO105Y1 with a final mark of at least 80%, and MAT133Y1 with a final mark of at least 63%, ORMAT135H1 with a final mark of at least 60% and MAT136H1 with a final mark of at least 60%, ORMAT137Y1 with a final mark of at least 55%, OR MAT157Y1 with a final mark of at least 55%.

1. ECO100Y1/ECO105Y1; MAT133Y1/(MAT123H1, MAT124H1)/(MAT135H1, MAT136H1)/MAT137Y1/MAT157Y12. ECO 200Y/204Y/206Y3. One full 300+ series ECO course 4. NOTES:(a) Students enrolled in the Minor Program in Economics cannot be enrolled in any other Minor, Major, Specialist or Joint Specialist Economics program;(b) Many 300-level and higher courses in economics require ECO220Y1. While not a formal part of the Economics Minor program, students MUST meet the specified prerequisites for 300+ economics courses, and should seriously consider taking ECO220Y1.

Financial Economics Specialist (Science program)

This is a limited enrolment program. Students enrolled in this program cannot simultaneously be enrolled in any other Economics specialist, joint specialist, major or minor program in Economics, or in Economic History or in the B.Com program.

To be eligible for admission, applicants must have completed at least 8.0 FCEs, and have obtained at least the specified minimum marks in the following required courses: 70% in ECO100Y1/ECO100Y5, 63% in MAT133Y1/MAT133Y5 or 60% in MAT134Y5/(MAT135H1, MAT136H1)/MAT135Y5 or 55% inMAT137Y1/MAT138Y5, 70% in ECO206Y1/ECO206Y5, 70% in ECO208Y1/ECO208Y5, 70% in ECO227Y1/ECO227Y5/(STA257H1, STA261H1)/(STA257H5, 261H5).

This is a Type 2L limited program and so meeting the minimum course marks specified above will not necessarily guarantee admission. Note: The program and marks thresholds for admission will be reviewed in the 2011-2012 academic year and those published in the 2012-2013 Calendar will apply to those applying for admission in Spring 2012.

The revised program description and marks required for admission will be posted on the Economics Department website as soon as the review is complete.

(13 full courses or their equivalent, including at least one 400-series full course)

NOTE – Some required courses may be offered only on the St. George or on the University of Toronto Mississauga campus in any given year. Students registered in this program at either campus may have to attend lectures on the other campus in such cases.

Economics Courses

ECO100Y1 Introduction to Economics[48L/24T]

An introduction to economic analysis and its applications: price determination; the role of competition; international trade and finance; the theory of production and employment; the role of money and the banking system; monetary and fiscal policy. NOTE graphical and quantitative analysis are used extensively.

An introduction to the principles and methods of economics in association with policy issues. Lectures cover a variety of topics, including economic growth, the importance of productivity, international trade, competitive markets, macroeconomic issues and more specific topics such as rent controls, OPEC, the international debt crisis, trade restrictions, the national debt and sustainable development. Students who intend to complete a minor, major, or specialist program in Economics are advised to take ECO100Y.

Exclusion:
ECO100Y1Distribution Requirement Status: This is a Social Science courseBreadth Requirement: Society and its Institutions (3)

ECO200Y1 Microeconomic Theory[48L/24T]

Theory of markets and prices. Determination of prices through the interaction of the basic economic units, the household as consumer and as supplier of inputs and the business firm as producer and as employer of inputs. The pricing system as the mechanism by which social decisions and allocation of goods are made in a market economy.

Theory of output, employment and the price level; techniques for achieving economic stability; central banking and Canadian financial institutions and markets; foreign exchange markets and the exchange rate. This course is not intended for students enrolled in the B.Com program; please see ECO209Y1.

The use of microeconomics to analyze a variety of issues from marketing and finance to organizational structure. Consumer preferences and behavior; demand, cost analysis and estimation; allocation of inputs, pricing and firm behavior under perfect and imperfect competition; game theory and public policy, including competition policy. Business cases are used to connect theory and practice and to highlight differences and similarities between economics and accounting, marketing and finance. This course is restricted to students in the Commerce programs.

Macroeconomic issues relevant for commerce students. Analytical tools are used to examine policy issues: Canadian government budgets, Bank of Canada monetary policy, exchange rate policy, foreign trade policy and government regulation of financial intermediaries. This course is restricted to students in the Commerce programs.

Numerical and graphical data description techniques; data collection and sampling; probability; sampling distributions; statistical inference; hypothesis testing and estimation; simple and multiple regression analysis. Study methods, the basis for these methods, when each is or is not appropriate, and how to correctly interpret and explain results.

A rigorous introduction to probability and mathematical statistics intended for economics specialists. Probability and estimation theory, sampling distributions, hypotheses testing, multiple regression analysis. Students will learn the tools used in economics and finance to model and address randomness and uncertainty.

This course is intended primarily for students in the International Relations and in the Peace & Conflict Studies programs. The key concepts of international trade and finance are reviewed with an eye to understanding contemporary issues and recommending policy initiatives. Attention is given to empirical assessment of alternative trade theories and to broader international relations issues.

Prerequisite:
ECO100Y1(67%)/ECO105Y1(80%)/enrolment in the International Relations Specialist or Major Programs, or the IR/Peace and Conflict Studies joint Specialist ProgramExclusion:
ECO328Y1/ECO364H1/ECO365H1/ECO364H5/ECO365H5Distribution Requirement Status: This is a Social Science courseBreadth Requirement: Society and its Institutions (3)

ECO239Y1 Labour Markets and Policies[48L/24T]

This course is intended primarily for students in the Employment Relations programs. Application of economic analysis to current issues in labour policy: immigration, retirement, education, unemployment, earnings differentials, employment and pay equity, labour unions, minimum wage, income policies.

Prerequisite:
ECO100Y1(67%)/ECO105Y1(80%)Exclusion:
ECO339Y1Distribution Requirement Status: This is a Social Science courseBreadth Requirement: Society and its Institutions (3)WDW244H1

WDW244H1Labour Relations

See Woodsworth College

ECO250Y1 Special Topics in Economics[48L]

Courses may be offered in one or more subjects each year. Students must meet the Prerequisites announced by the Department (see the Undergraduate Administrator for details).

Prerequisite:
TBADistribution Requirement Status: This is a Social Science courseBreadth Requirement: None

ECO251H1 Special Topics in Economics[24L]

Courses may be offered in one or more subjects each year. Students must meet the Prerequisites announced by the Department (see the Undergraduate Administrator for details).

Prerequisite:
TBADistribution Requirement Status: This is a Social Science courseBreadth Requirement: None

ECO252H1 Special Topics in Economics[24L]

Courses may be offered in one or more subjects each year. Students must meet the prerequisites announced by the Department (see the Undergraduate Administrator for details).

Prerequisite:
TBADistribution Requirement Status: This is a Social Science courseBreadth Requirement: None

Distribution Requirement Status: This is a Social Science courseBreadth Requirement: None

ECO301Y1 European Economic History, 1250 1750 [48L/24T]

The development of the West European economy from the apogee of the Commercial Revolution in the mid-12th century and the ensuing economic crises of the later Middle Ages to the eve of the modern Industrial Revolution, in the mid-18th century, focusing on Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Germany, the Low Countries and England. Major topics: feudalism, serfdom and other barriers to economic growth; demographic, monetary and other macroeconomic forces; the development of market economies; structural changes in and interactions among the agrarian, commercial, financial, and industrial sectors; overseas expansion and colonization; the role of Church, state, warfare, and social/political institutions; Mercantilism.

Prerequisite:
ECO200Y1/ECO204Y1/ECO206Y1Exclusion:
ECO201Y1Distribution Requirement Status: This is a Social Science courseBreadth Requirement: Society and its Institutions (3)

ECO302H1 Comparative Economic Institutions in History[24L]

Contrasting ways in which the factors of production - land, labour and capital - are organized in human society. Tribal, feudal, mercantilist and market economies are considered. A conceptual framework related to both market and non-market economies, based on the work of Karl Polanyi.

Prerequisite:
ECO200Y1/ECO204Y1/ECO206Y1Exclusion:
ECO302Y, ECO354H1(2001-02 and 2002-03)Distribution Requirement Status: This is a Social Science courseBreadth Requirement: Society and its Institutions (3)

ECO303Y1 The Economic History of Modern Europe to 1914[48L/24T]

The economic development of modern Europe, focusing on urban industrialization in the Netherlands, Great Britain, France, Germany, and Russia, up to World War I. Major topics: technological, institutional, and social factors in economic growth; demographic and monetary forces; structural changes in and interactions among the agrarian, commercial, financial, and industrial sectors; international trade and capital flows; the role of the state; the role of economic theory and ideology; theories of post-1850 imperialism.

Prerequisite:
ECO200Y1/ECO204Y1/ECO206Y1Exclusion:
ECO203Y1Distribution Requirement Status: This is a Social Science courseBreadth Requirement: Society and its Institutions (3)

ECO306H1 American Economic History [24L, 12T]

A survey of American economic history from the ante-bellum period to the present. Potential topics include the the rapid growth of the American economy in the late 19th and early 20th century; Causes of the onset of the Great Depression; The economic impact of slavery and its aftermath; Health and demographic trends; and 20th century trends in inequality.

Demographic economic history within a North American context. Topics include changes over time in marriage markets, fertility, mortality and stature. The impact of property rights within marriage, illegitimacy, the decline of fertility in the nineteenth century and the puzzling inter-temporal divergence between height and wealth during the early nineteenth century.

A study of how firms compete and structure of markets. Emphasize oligopoly markets and use of game theory. In addition to theory, study empirical industrial organization including estimation of demand. Applications to competition policy with a focus on evaluating antitrust implications of horizontal mergers.

This course demonstrates how a rigorous application of microeconomic techniques can inform our responses to various environmental problems. Topics may include: air and water pollution and renewable resource management.

This course surveys important features of energy markets and key challenges such as global warming and other environmental externalities. Microeconomic tools, like energy demand and supply analysis are used. Topics include renewable energy, feed-in-tariffs, conservation, carbon taxes, ‘cap-and-trade’ and incentive regulation..

Focuses on core ideas and concepts and on applications in various fields such as economics, political science, evolutionary biology. Topics may include voting theory, electoral competition, theory of public goods, free rider problem, oligopoly, repeated interaction, bargaining, evolutionary equilibrium, matching, and auctions.

Note: This course cannot be taken as a substitute in programs that require ECO326H1

Prerequisite:
ECO200Y1/ECO204Y1/ECO206Y1Exclusion:
ECO326H1, ECO326H5Distribution Requirement Status: This is a Social Science courseBreadth Requirement: Society and its Institutions (3)

ECO320H1 Economic Analysis of Law[24L]

The practical application of microeconomic theory to common legal problems: torts, contracts, property and crime, and the limitations of economic analysis. No previous familiarity with the law is assumed. (This is an economic analysis of legal issues, not a course in law.)

Canadian economic growth and development as viewed through the staples thesis of Harold Innis. Reference to United States economic history throughout the course.

Prerequisite:
ECO200Y1/ECO204Y1/ECO206Y1Exclusion:
ECO221Y1, ECO307H1, ECO323Y5Distribution Requirement Status: This is a Social Science courseBreadth Requirement: Society and its Institutions (3)

ECO324Y1 Economic Development[48L]

Economic development theory and policy related to the economic transformation of the developing countries, including industrial and agricultural sector strategies, international trade policy, public sector activities and the importance of productivity growth and poverty reduction programs.

A development of the microeconomic foundations of macroeconomic theory to expand students analytic skills by constructing and solving macroeconomic models. Topics may include: dynamic choice, neoclassical growth theory, uncertainty and rational expectations, business cycles, as well as fiscal and monetary policy.

Spatial economic theory and urban public policy: firms and individuals in partial and general equilibrium, land development and land-use controls, urban transportation, efficiency and equity in spending and taxing.

The personal distribution of income and wealth; measurement of inequality and poverty. The distributional effects of the tax system, government spending and economic regulation (including policies such as minimum wages, pay equity and employment equity).

Economic development of Europe and certain overseas areas, particularly Japan and the United States. Special attention to globalization before 1914, problems of the interwar years, the Great Depression of the 1930s, the period since 1945, international trade, the balance of payments and exchange rate mechanisms, growth performance of the major industrial countries.

This course studies the interaction of the monetary and banking sectors with financial markets and the broader economy. It builds especially on tools developed in intermediate macroeconomics, but also focuses on the institutional structure of the Canadian monetary sector, including the role and operation of the Bank of Canada.

Courses may be offered in one or more subjects each year. Students must meet the prerequisites announced by the Department (see the Undergraduate Administrator for details).

Prerequisite:
TBADistribution Requirement Status: This is a Social Science courseBreadth Requirement: Society and its Institutions (3)

ECO351H1 Special Topics in Economics[24L]

Courses may be offered in one or more subjects each year. Students must meet the Prerequisites announced by the Department (see the Undergraduate Administrator for details).

Prerequisite:
TBADistribution Requirement Status: This is a Social Science courseBreadth Requirement: Society and its Institutions (3)

ECO352H1 Special Topics in Economics[24L]

Courses may be offered in one or more subjects each year. Students must meet the prerequisites announced by the Department (see the Undergraduate Administrator for details).

Prerequisite:
TBADistribution Requirement Status: This is a Social Science courseBreadth Requirement: Society and its Institutions (3)

ECO356H1 Special Topics in Financial Economics[24L]

Courses may be offered in one or more subjects each year. Students must meet the prerequisites announced by the Department (see the Undergraduate Administrator for details).

Prerequisite:
TBADistribution Requirement Status: This is a Social Science courseBreadth Requirement: Society and its Institutions (3)

ECO357H1 Islamic Banking and Finance[24L]

What makes Islamic Banking and Finance distinct? This course provides an overview of Islamic Economics, Finance and Banking. Students will develop basic understanding and principles governing Islamic Economics & Finance, its history, growth and place in the world economy.

An introduction to economics of financial assets and financial markets. Topics: inter-temporal choice, expected utility theory, security valuation, selected asset pricing models, market efficiency, and the term structure of interest rates - essential materials for an understanding of the role and operation of financial markets.

Agency and incomplete information problems inherent in financial transactions; the role of contractual arrangements in overcoming them. Financial constraints on investment decisions of firms; the financial system in economic growth; the legal system in the functioning of financial markets. A look at theoretical and empirical literature covering these issues.

Prerequisite:
ECO358H1Exclusion:
ACT349H1, MGT331Y1, MGT337Y1, RSM333H1Distribution Requirement Status: This is a Social Science courseBreadth Requirement: Society and its Institutions (3)

ECO362H1 Economic Growth[24L]

The course considers a broad range of issues that underlie economic growth, including technical progress and the accumulation of human and physical capital. Beyond these factors, the course also investigates the efficiency with which capital is used, the role of foreign trade, and the possible roles for government and culture.

An examination of the causes and consequences of international trade. The first half develops traditional models of comparative advantage, with the second half examines more recent theoretical and empirical work on trade & wages, the political economy of trade, outsourcing, and firm heterogeneity.

Introduction to open economy macroeconomics and international finance. The core objective of the course is to develop macroeconomic models of open economies that can be applied towards gaining an understanding of recent events such as US deficits, financial crises, Chinas exchange rate policy and the Euro.

Prerequisite:
ECO202Y1/ECO208Y1/ECO209Y1Exclusion:
ECO230Y1/ECO328Y1Distribution Requirement Status: This is a Social Science courseBreadth Requirement: Society and its Institutions (3)

ECO369Y1 Health Economics[48L]

The provision of health care provides many special problems of informational asymmetry, regulation, insurance and redistribution. A consideration of the demand and supply side problems. Alternative reform proposals for health care are explored.

An introduction to the economic analysis of the firm that highlights how organizations and special contractual relationships emerge as alternative institutions to the market for allocating resources. Incentive problems and informal relationships, within and between firms, are important components of this analysis.

An introduction to econometrics similar to ECO375H1, with greater focus on applications drawn from business and financial economics. The course is built around the statistical foundations and economic applications of the multiple regression model. Using statistical software, students will also learn how to conduct, present, and critique empirical research.

An introduction to econometrics , theoretical and practical, focusing on the multiple regression model. Statistical assumptions, theory, and results are carefully developed, as are the necessary conditions for the valid application of regression analysis to economic data. Students apply these techniques to economic data using statistical software.

A research-oriented course continuing from ECO375H. The regression model is extended in several possible directions: time series analysis; panel data techniques; instrumental variables; simultaneous equations; limited dependent variables. Students will complete a major empirical term paper, applying the tools of econometrics to a topic chosen by the student.

Prerequisite:
ECO375H1(60%)/ECO374H1(70%), NOTE: STA302H1 is not adequate preparationExclusion:
ECO327Y1, STA302H1Distribution Requirement Status: This is a Social Science courseBreadth Requirement: Society and its Institutions (3)

ECO380H1 Managerial Economics I: Competitive Strategy[24L]

This course in applied microeconomics is concerned with the functioning of markets and the behaviour of firms within these markets. The focus is on strategic relationships between organizations, including competitive relationships among firms in the same market and cooperative relationships between a firm and its suppliers and distributors.

An instructor-supervised group project in an off-campus setting. Details here.

Distribution Requirement Status: This is a Social Science courseBreadth Requirement: None

ECO399Y0 Independent Experiential Study Project

An instructor-supervised group project in an off-campus setting. Details here.

Distribution Requirement Status: This is a Social Science courseBreadth Requirement: None400-level courses

Note:

Many 400-level courses are offered as joint undergraduate and graduate courses. Students interested in any of these courses should consult with the instructor before enrolling.

EC0401H1
Topics in Economic Policy [24L, 12T]

This course covers basic issues in the theoretical and empirical evaluation of public policy. Sample topics include income redistribution through taxation and the provision of social insurance and public goods, the mitigation of externalities, and welfare analysis in behavioral models.

This course explores a variety of topics in health economics, providing students with an overview of current and historical institutional characteristics of the market for, and public policy towards, health care. Students will apply theoretical and empirical tools to current domestic and international issues in health policy. No previous background in health economics is required.

This course examines the foundations of money and financial institutions using tools mastered in micro and macroeconomics. The goal is a set of principles valid for the analysis of monetary policy and institutional regulation in a variety of real world settings.

The construction and operation of macroeconometric models. The use of models for conducting policy simulations and for generating quantitative forecasts of economic activity.

Prerequisite:
ECO325H1, ECO327Y1/ECO374H1/ECO375H1Distribution Requirement Status: This is a Social Science courseBreadth Requirement: Society and its Institutions (3)

ECO418H1 Empirical Applications of Economic Theory[24L]

Topics class in applied econometrics, emphasizing empirical industrial organization. Emphasis on a balanced treatment of theory and econometric techniques used in empirical research in industrial organization (the study of firms and markets). How firms behave, how market equilibriums arise and how economic policies are used to affect market equilibriums.

Prerequisite:
ECO327Y/ECO374H1/ECO375H1Distribution Requirement Status: This is a Social Science courseBreadth Requirement: Society and its Institutions (3)

ECO419H1 International Macroeconomics[24L]

Contemporary issues in international monetary economics and macroeconomic policy formulation in open economies like Canada. A study of forces determining interest rates and exchange rates, inflation and unemployment; analysis of government policy in relation to financial markets.

Seminars or workshops may be offered in one or more subjects each year. Students must meet the Prerequisites announced by the Department. (See the Undergraduate Administrator for details.)

Prerequisite:
TBA, permission of instructor Distribution Requirement Status: This is a Social Science courseBreadth Requirement: Society and its Institutions (3)

ECO421H1 Special Topics in Economics[24S]

Seminars or workshops may be offered in one or more subjects each year. Students must meet the Prerequisites announced by the Department. (See the Undergraduate Administrator for details.)

Prerequisite:
TBA; permission of instructorDistribution Requirement Status: This is a Social Science courseBreadth Requirement: Society and its Institutions (3)

ECO422H1 Special Topics in Economics[24S]

Seminars or workshops may be offered in one or more subjects each year. Students must meet the prerequisites announced by the Department. (See the Undergraduate Administrator for details.)

Prerequisite:
TBA, permission of instructorDistribution Requirement Status: This is a Social Science courseBreadth Requirement: Society and its Institutions (3)

ECO423H1 Topics in North American Economic History[24L]

Themes are incentives, contracts, and the impetus for change. Topics include indigenous people of North America; indentured servitude; slavery; apprenticeships; the evolution of production from artisan shop to the factory; invention and the diffusion of technological innovations; institutions and growth.

Prerequisite:
ECO206Y1(70%),ECO220Y1(70%)/ECO227Y1(70%)/STA257H1(70%),STA261H1(70%), or permission of the instructorExclusion:
ECO307H1Distribution Requirement Status: This is a Social Science courseBreadth Requirement: Society and its Institutions (3)

ECO429Y1 History of Economic Thought[48L]

Development of analytical economics from the 18th century with emphasis on Adam Smith and the British Classical School (David Ricardo, T.R. Malthus, and J.S. Mill), Karl Marx, the Marginalists and their successors to 1939, including Keynes.

Intended for advanced Specialist students who have exhausted course offerings in a particular area. Open only when a faculty member is available and willing to supervise. Students must obtain the approval of the Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies before enrolling.

Distribution Requirement Status: This is a Social Science courseBreadth Requirement: Society and its Institutions (3)

ECO431H1 Reading Course or Thesis[TBA]

Intended for advanced Specialist students who have exhausted course offerings in a particular area. Open only when a faculty member is available and willing to supervise. Students must obtain the approval of the Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies before enrolling.

Distribution Requirement Status: This is a Social Science courseBreadth Requirement: Society and its Institutions (3)

ECO432H1
Topics in Economics of the Family [24L]

Economics bring an analytic and quantitative approach to the study of the family. The course will discuss analytic and empirical models of family behaviour, including nature versus nurture, parental investments, quantity and quality tradeoff in children, marital matching, resource allocation within the household, and gender roles.

Broad introduction to modern regional and urban economics. In the first part, we study how and why cities grow and develop. In the second part, we explore how cities interact and why they differ in size and perform different activities. The last part looks at regional development and attempts to understand the determinants of regional inequalities.

Corequisite:
ECO327Y1/ECO374H1/ECO375H1Distribution Requirement Status: This is a Social Science courseBreadth Requirement: Society and its Institutions (3)

ECO434H1 Political Economy[24L]

The tools of economic analysis, like rational choice and optimizing behavior, as well as strategic interaction that can be modeled using game theory, are increasingly applied in the domain of politics. This course introduces students to the theoretical applications, and empirical evaluation, of economic models to political behavior.

Prerequisite:
ECO326H1, ECO374H1/ECO375H1Distribution Requirement Status: This is a Social Science courseBreadth Requirement: Society and its Institutions (3)

ECO435H1 The Economics of Modern China (formerly ECO335Y1)[24L]

A focus on post-1949 Chinese economy, and the PRCs economic legacy. Economic development during the Maoist period, particularly post-1979 reforms. China's experience is compared to Eastern Europe's and the role of China in the rapidly growing East Asian economy. This is a limited enrolment seminar requiring extensive reading.

In order to capture the complexity of economic behavior and interactions, especially with a significant time dimension, modern models of the macroeconomy make considerable use of computer simulation. This course teaches students both how to develop the economic models, and how to solve and work with them computationally.

Prerequisite:
ECO325H1Distribution Requirement Status: This is a Social Science courseBreadth Requirement: Society and its Institutions (3)

ECO438H1
Topics in the Economics of Business Cycles [24L]

This course will review the stylized empirical facts, introduce the basic Real Business Cycle model, and discuss the current extensions of the model in a Dynamic General Equilibrium framework. Students will learn some basic methods used to solve these types of models and work with common data need to calibrate and/or estimate the models.

Prerequisite: EO325H1(80%), ECO374H1(80%)/ECO375H1(80%)
Distribution Requirement Status: This is a Social Science course
Breadth Requirement: Society and its Institutions (3)

ECO451H1 Macroeconomic Growth[24L]

An introduction to modern theories of the determinants of macroeconomic growth that examines the important question of why some countries are rich and others are poor. Topics include: investigation of empirical literature pertaining to international comparisons of recent and past rates of economic growth across countries.

Prerequisite:
ECO325H1, ECO327Y/ECO375H1,ECO376H1Distribution Requirement Status: This is a Social Science courseBreadth Requirement: Society and its Institutions (3)

ECO456H1 Special Topics in Financial Economics[24L]

Courses may be offered in one or more subjects each year. Students must meet the prerequisites announced by the Department (see the Undergraduate Administrator for details).

Prerequisite:
TBADistribution Requirement Status: This is a Social Science courseBreadth Requirement: Society and its Institutions (3)

ECO457Y1 The International Economy since 1870[48S]

Topics vary with the interest and backgrounds of the participants; subjects normally include international monetary arrangements; patterns of international trade, competition and payments; migration and capital flows; imperialism and dependency; international fluctuations; the effects of the world wars on the international economy and the evolution of international economic institutions.

Prerequisite:
grade of "B" in at least one of ECO364H1, ECO365H1, or ECO342Y1Distribution Requirement Status: This is a Social Science courseBreadth Requirement: Society and its Institutions (3)

Prerequisite:
ECO328Y/ECO364H1, permission of instructorDistribution Requirement Status: This is a Social Science courseBreadth Requirement: Society and its Institutions (3)

ECO461H1 The Economics of Financial Risk Management[24L]

This course is intended primarily for students in the Financial Economics specialist program and is not open to students in the B.Com program. The role of risk management in both private and public sectors, a discussion of why firms and government should hedge financial risks; individual and social gains of financial risk management; identification and quantification of financial risks (including Value-at-Risk measures); how derivative securities can be used for financial risk management.

This course is intended primarily for students in the Financial Economics specialist program. An introduction to the econometrics used in empirical finance, with an emphasis on estimation and inference using computer based applications. Topics will include parametric and nonparametric models of volatility, evaluation of asset pricing theories and models for risk management and transactions data.

Prerequisite:
ECO358H1(70%),327Y(70%)/ECO375H1(70%),ECO376H1(70%)Distribution Requirement Status: This is a Social Science courseBreadth Requirement: Society and its Institutions (3)